Undergarment



June 30, 1942. F. J. SLE ZAK UNDERGARMENT Filed March 9, 1940 3nventor f/m x l 0252M attorneg Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERGARMENT Frank J. Slezak, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 9, 1940, Serial No. 323,127

This invention relates to undergarments and more particularly to such garments for men and boys.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an undergarment such as shorts made mainly of woven cloth and embodying a support at the crotch of the garment, the construction being such that the garment snugly fits the wearer and conforms to all body movements, while obviating upward creeping of the garment or other uncomfortable maladjustments thereof.

The garment embodying the present invention includes front and back portions of inextensible clotli such as woven material together with interposed side sections of relatively extensible cloth such as knit material secured to said front and back portions at both sides of the garment and designed to resiliently embrace the wearers thighs while allowing free body movement. As the garment is preferably permanently closed at the waist, at which an elastic waist band is provided, said interposed side sections permit the garment to be readily put on' and taken off, buttons or other separable fastening means be ing unnecessary. The leg openings of the garment are defined by the lower edges of said side sections, by lower edge portions of said front and back woven cloth portions of the garment, and by the side edges of the crotch part. The lower edges of the said side sections are provided with elastic tapes which cause the marginal edge portions of the garment at the leg openings to conform to the thighs encircled thereby. Also, said relatively smooth condition. Another feature of the invention resides in utilizing in the front and back portions of the garment and in the crotch part thereof woven fabric such as broadcloth orother suitable woven material cut on the bias so that said portions are somewhat elastic although considerably less extensible than the side sections of the garment.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the garment as it appears when on the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a view of the backof the garment;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the garment, the parts being positioned to illustrate the garment as it appears when'on the wearer;

Fig. 4 is an inner plan view, on a larger scale, of the crotch part;

Fig. 5 is a view on a larger scale illustrating part of the garment at the leg opening.

Referring now to the drawing in detaiL'the garment constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises front and back portions l0 and I2, respectively, composed of inextensible fabric such as broadcloth or other suitable woven material. Preferably said portions Ill and I! are cut on the bias so that they possess a small degree of elasticity vertically and circumferentially of the wearer. Side sections l4 composed of relatively extensible cloth such as rib-knit material are interposed between the front and back portions of the garment and are stitched thereto at both sides of the garment bydouble seams as indicated at H5 at the front of th garment and at l8 at the back of the garment. Said side sections [4 are arranged in the garment so that the wales of the knit material thereof extend longitudinally of the garment whereby said sections are extensible. circumferentially of the garment and substantially inextensible longitudinally of the garment. A circumferentially elastic waist band 20. is stitched to the upper edges of the front and back portions and to the upper edges of said side sections completely therearound, the upper marginal edges of front and back portions 10 and I2 being gathered somewhat at the lines of juncture with said elastic band so that they can extend and contract with said band at the waist of the wearer.

The crotch part of the garment comprises inner and outer layers 22 and 24 of broadcloth or other suitable woven material preferably cut on the bias so thatsaid crotch part is somewhat elastic. The upper marginal edge 26 of the crotch part is stitched to the lower marginal edge of the front portion l0 centrally of the latter and the rear marginal edge 28 of said crotch part is stitched to the lower marginal edg of back portion I2. The side edges 30 of the crotch part are disposed to define parts of the leg openings and define the latter in conjunction with lower marginal edge portions of front part III, side sections l4 and back portion II. The lower edge of each side section 14 is provided with an elastic tape 32. Each tape 32 is disposed within a folded extensible edging 34 of knit material and is stitched at its opposite ends at the seams l6 and 48 by which the opposite side edges of the side section M are secured to the front and back portions l0 and [2 respectively. It will be observed by reference to the drawing that the interposed side sections M of extensible material exert tension on the front and back portions in and I2 to hold the latter smoothly in position and that the elastic tapes 32 exert a mild upward pull on the crotch part 24 to improve the supporting action of said part and to hold the latter smoothly in place.

The front portion I of the garment is provided with a fly opening 36 and the vertically extending central portions 38 and 40 above and beferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made therein and will occur to skilled artisans. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown or described except as may be required by the scope of the appended claims.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An undergarment of the class described comprising front and back portions of substantially inextensible woven cloth, interposed side sections of relatively extensible knit cloth stitched to said front and back portions at both sides of the garment, the wales of said knit material in said side sections extending longitudinally of the garment whereby said sections are substantially inextensible longitudinally of the garment but are elastic laterally thereof, and a crotch part of inextensible woven cloth extending from the front to the rear ol the garment and stitched to the lower edges of said front and back portions and positioned in the garment so that it is located at the crotch of the wearer, when the garment is worn, whereby to constitute a support, the material of said front and back portions being bias-cut and arranged in the garment on the bias so that said portions are slightly elastic longitudinally and laterally of the wearer and substantially inextensible along oblique lines extending upwardly from said crotch part to the opposite side edges, respectively, of said front and back portions whereby said side sections and said front and back portions tension said crotch part laterally and upwardly.

2. An undergarment of the class described comprising front and back portions of substantially inextensible woven cloth, interposed side sections of relatively extensible knit cloth stitched to said front and back portions at both sides of the garment, the wales of said knit material in said side sections extending longitudinally of the garment whereby said sections are substantially inextensible longitudinally of the garment but are elastic laterally thereof, an elastic waist band secured to the upper edges of said front and back portions and to said side sections, and a crotch part of inextensible woven cloth extending from the front to the rear of the garment and stitched to the lower edges of said front and back portions and positioned in the garment so that it is located at the crotch of the wearer, when the garment is worn, whereby to constitute a support, the material of said front and back portions being bias-cut and arranged in the garment on the bias so that said portions are slightly elastic longitudinally and laterally of the wearer and substantially inextensible along oblique lines extending upwardly from said crotch part to the opposite side edges, respectively, of said front and back portions whereby said side sections and said front and back portions tension said crotch part laterally and upwardly,

the leg openings of the garment being defined by thelower edges of said side sections by lower edge portions of said front and back portions and by the side edges of said crotch part, and elastic tapes secured at the lower edges of said side sections to hold said leg-opening defining portions in snug engagement with the wearers thigh and to tension the crotch part laterally and upwardly for providing a smooth support at the crotch of the garment, said front portion having central overlapping parts connected at the upper ends thereof to said band and at the lower ends thereof to the front of said crotch part to tension the latter upwardly, said central overlapping portions having a fly opening therebetween.

3. An undergarment of the class described comprising front and back portionsof substantially. inextensible woven cloth, interposed side sections of relatively extensible knit cloth stitched to said front and back portions at both sides of the garment, the wales of said knit material in said side sections extending longitudinally of the garment whereby said sections are substantially inextensible longitudinally of the garment but are elastic laterally thereof, a waist band secured to the upper edges of said front and back portions and to said side sections, and a crotch part of inextensible woven cloth extending from the front to the rear of the garment and stitched to the lower edges of said front and back portions and positioned in the garment so that it is located at the crotch of the wearer, when the garment is worn, whereby to constitute a support, the material of said front and back portions and of said crotch part being bias-cut and arranged in the garment on the bias so that said portions are slightly elastic longitudinally and laterally of the wearer and substantially inextensible along oblique lines extending upwardly from said crotch part to the opposite side edges, respectively, of said front and back portions whereby said side sections and said front and back portions tension said crotch part laterally and upwardly, the leg openings of the garment being defined by the lower edges of said side sections, by lower edge portions of said front and back portions and by the side edges of said crotch part, the material of said crotch part being bias-cut and arranged in said part so that the latter is substantially inextensible along lines extending obliquely between the opposite side edges of said crotch part, and elastic tapes secured at the lower edges of said side sections to hold said leg-opening defining portions in snug engagement with the wearer's thighs and to tension the crotch part laterally and upwardly for providing a smooth support at the crotch of the garment, said front portion having central overlapping parts connected at the upper ends thereof to said band and at the lower ends thereof to the front of said crotch part to tension the latter upwardly, said central overlapping portions having a fly opening therebetween.

FRANK J. SLEZAK. 

